Ruben Amorim has admitted to "stealing" piece ideas from his Premier League rivals following Manchester United's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Both Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount's second-half goals came from Bruno Fernandes' free kicks. The Portuguese manager also suggested his side were able to capitalise on the hosts' tiredness, three days removed from their latest Conference League fixture.
United exploit Palace tiredness with set piece goals
The visit to Selhurst Park looked set to be another frustrating outing for United, as they were outplayed by the Eagles in the opening 45 minutes. Oliver Glasner's side took the lead after Jean-Phillippe Mateta won a penalty when he was felled by compatriot Leny Yoro. The French international eventually converted from the spot, after he was allowed to re-take following an accidental double-touch on his first attempt.
Despite being second best for the majority of the opening hour of the game, Amorim's side were constantly threatening from set pieces. They could have taken the lead in the opening minutes, had it not been for a smart double save by Dean Henderson at the feet of Casemiro following a long throw. The visitors eventually made their dead-ball routines pay dividends in the second half. Captain Fernandes was the provider on both occasions. The equaliser came via Zirkzee's swivelling finish from a tight angle to score his first league goal in over a year. Mount found the winner as he struck home from the edge of the box after Fernandes took a quick touch from a free kick to catch the hosts napping.
In his post-match comments, Amorim admitted he was putting a greater emphasis on set pieces as teams in the Premier League continue to innovate in that phase of play. He also suggested his ability to work with his players on the training paddock without European football is helping, while the opposition struggling to keep pace in the second half due to their European exploits. Palace lost 2-1 away to Strasbourg on Thursday.
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'We are stealing a lot of things'
When asked about United's improvement at set pieces, Amorim said: "'We have more time to work. We work a lot and we learn a lot in England. We are stealing a lot of things to score goals."
He added: "We need to understand the opponent was tired in the second half. When you increase the rhythm and the opponent suffers a goal right away a goal, we had control.
“In the last 10 minutes of the first half, I felt the opponent was struggling and they would struggle in the second half. We had that feeling that we needed to do something to change the way we were playing.
“We tried to change little things in the game. But the intensity and the quality in the way we connected, especially Zirkzee, was better and that improves a lot the way we play.”
Set pieces cover up United's lack of creativity
While Amorim is right to herald his team's performance at dead ball situations, the lack of creativity in open play should remain an ongoing concern. United generated 1.25 xG over the course of 90 minutes at Selhurst Park, while the hosts created 1.97xG, according to Opta.
However, just 0.2xG of those chances came from open play for the visitors. Despite Amorim's assertion that his side took control of the game in the second half, you could just as easily argue the Red Devils were lucky to take the lead when looking at the underlying data. Both sides generated 0.26xG after the break, with Zrikzee and Mount's goals coming on chances worth just 0.05xG.
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What comes next for United?
The Red Devils will be happy with a battling three points away to a well-drilled Palace side, regardless of how they get their goals. Amorim has bought himself more time over the course of the past few weeks, which could well be a result of the additional time on the training pitch without European competition. Now sitting in 7th in the Premier League table, the goal must be to return to continental competition next term. That endeavour continues when the Red Devils host West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday.
He might not have the big trophies just yet, but Mikel Arteta has already achieved a lot at Arsenal.
He has taken a club that was spiralling into competitive irrelevance and turned them into serious contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.
Furthermore, on several occasions, he has helped revitalise the careers of players most considered to be done at the very highest level.
He has done the same this year, with someone who only last year received some particularly scathing criticism.
The best career revivals at Arsenal
When it comes to redemption stories at Arsenal, the one everyone will think of first, and rightly so, is Granit Xhaka’s.
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The Swiss international famously fell foul of the Emirates faithful in late 2019 when, as he was being jeered, he threw the armband and his shirt to the floor while swearing at the supporters.
At the time, it looked like his time in N5 was up, and were it not for the Spaniard, it probably would have been.
The midfielder would later tell the press that “my suitcases were packed, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came” and that “he [Arteta] is the reason why I’m still at this football club.”
Over the next few years, the passionate international would slowly win the fans back onside, and by the time his final game came at the end of the 22/23 season, the entire Emirates was singing his name, and seemed desperate for him to stay.
Another player whose career has been revived in N5 is Kai Havertz.
The German wasn’t taken particularly seriously when he made his surprise move to the club in 2023, and the fact that he struggled to have an impact in the first half of that season certainly didn’t help.
In fact, just a month into the campaign, former professional Gabby Agbonlahor described the former Bayer Leverkusen man as a “joke.”
However, a move up front completely changed the game for the struggling player, and in 18 starts as a centre-forward, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.20 games.
Havertz’s 23/24
Position
Midfield
Striker
Starts
32
18
Goals
6
8
Assists
0
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.18
0.83
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Then last season, despite being ruled out halfway through, he still managed to score 15 goals and provide five assists in 36 games.
In all, Havertz might not be Arsenal’s best player, but his revival under Arteta is undeniably impressive, and now another player previously written off is starting to show his best form again this season.
The Arsenal star who is now undroppable
The good news for Arsenal is that there are more than a handful of players who are currently undroppable, although few would have expected Leandro Trossard to be among them at the start of the season.
Now, the £90k-per-week Belgian is an undeniably talented player, but it would be fair to say that he underwhelmed last season.
While it took him just 46 games to produce 20 goal involvements the previous year, it took 56 games to produce the same number last season.
Moreover, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was simply having less of an impact on games, unless, of course, you include the red card he picked up against Manchester City, for which Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville blasted him. The latter notably labelled the situation as “ridiculous.”
The 30-year-old was such a disappointment that by the end of the season, fans seemed alright with moving him on to sign someone more dynamic, and based on reports, it looked like that might have been the club’s plan.
However, such a move never transpired, and fans should be delighted about that, as so far this season, he has been utterly superb.
For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the Waterschei-born “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.
In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is a rate of return not even Bukay Saka can match at the moment.
It’s not just his raw numbers that have improved, though; he is also having far more of an influence in games.
For example, while his thunderous effort against Sunderland caught everyone’s attention, he played brilliantly throughout.
Ultimately, it’s early in the season, but as things stand, Trossard is utterly undroppable and looks like another player Arteta has revived.
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Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have been blessed with truly world-class players over the years, players who have formed sensational partnerships.
One of the best examples of this has to be Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, who, to many fans, remain the greatest ever to don the Gunners’ famous red and white.
The pair played 216 competitive matches together from the 99/00 to 05/06 season in which they combined for 20 goals, averaged 2.10 points per game and, most crucially, won two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and two Community Shields.
The dynamic duo were the faces of Arsenal’s most successful era, and it now looks like Mikel Arteta might have created the club’s best pairing since them – and no, it’s not the summer signings of Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres.
Why Eze & Gyokeres could be a brilliant duo for Arsenal
They might not be the pairing in question, nor are they even all that in sync at the moment, but there is every chance that Gyokeres and Eze could become a formidable duo for Arsenal by the season’s end.
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One reason is the Swede’s positioning and the impact he has on opposition defenders.
For example, while he is most certainly still finding his feet in the Premier League and hasn’t quite found his shooting boots, it’s becoming increasingly clear that when he’s leading the line, he drags opposition defenders towards him.
Unlike Kai Havertz’s last season, who liked to drop deep and link play, the former Sporting CP star is playing more like a traditional nine, and thanks to his runs in behind and imposing strength, is stretching defences.
This, in turn, makes space for his teammates like Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Eze, who should become more effective at exploiting that space the more comfortable he becomes playing in the right eight for the Gunners.
Another reason the two summer signings could form a brilliant partnership is down to the Englishman’s ability to move the ball up the pitch.
After all, with Gyokeres spending more time in and around the penalty area than Havertz did last season, the Gunners need to get the ball to him, and that is something a fully up-to-speed Eze should be able to do.
Eze’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Shots Total
3.31
Top 1%
SCA (Shot)
0.83
Top 1%
% of Dribblers Tackled
100.0%
Top 1%
Shots on Target
1.16
Top 4%
Pass Completion %
80.9%
Top 4%
GCA (Shot)
0.17
Top 4%
Pass Completion % (Medium)
84.7%
Top 8%
Successful Take-On %
58.8%
Top 8%
Assists
0.33
Top 12%
Through Balls
0.66
Top 12%
Touches (Mid 3rd)
21.88
Top 12%
Passes Attempted (Medium)
14.09
Top 15%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.50
Top 15%
All Stats via FBref
For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of players in the league this season for successful take-on percentage, the top 12% for assists and through balls and the top 15% for goal-creating actions, all per 90.
In other words, the former Palace star is someone who can and will get the ball to Gyokeres in dangerous areas this season, and will only get better at it as he further beds into the team.
With all that said, while the summer signings could well become a game-changing pair this season, Arteta already has a truly world-class duo in his side today.
Arsenal's world-class duo
Some impressive partnerships are beginning to form for Arsenal this season, such as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber and Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori, but the best of the lot is undoubtedly the one between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
After all, while the wide players are hugely important to the Gunners, their most significant strength is, without question, their incredible solidity at the back, which stems from the centre-backs more than anyone else.
For example, as things stand, the North Londoners have not conceded a single goal in the Champions League or League Cup, and have let in just three in the Premier League, one of which is that outrageous free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.
If the Gunners keep up their incredible efforts at the back, they stand a brilliant chance of beating Chelsea’s astonishing record of just 15 goals conceded in the 04/05 season.
Also, while the two centre-backs haven’t played all ten league games together this season, they have made eight appearances as a duo.
With that said, what is their overall record when playing together?
Well, across all competitions, the Frenchman and Brazilian have appeared in 126 games alongside one another, in which the Gunners have conceded 115 goals, combined for one goal and averaged an impressive 2.15 points per game.
And if that is not enough, before the Palace game on Sunday, the pair had made 93 league appearances together, during which they’ve conceded 0.78 goals per game, putting them as the sixth-best centre-back pairing in Premier League history.
However, given they’ve taken another massive step forward this season, it doesn’t feel unrealistic that they could eventually replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić at the top of that table one day, as their average of 0.71 goals conceded a game isn’t that much better.
PL’s Best CB Pairings
Players
Games
Goals Against
Ferdinand & Vidic
120
0.71
Keown & Adams
97
0.73
Campbell & Toure
59
0.73
Terry & Carvalho
85
0.76
Lescott & Kompany
58
0.76
Gabriel & Saliba
93
0.78
Van Dijk & Matip
72
0.81
All Stats via Transfermarkt (Pre Palace)
Ultimately, with how well they’ve already played together, how much more impressive they’ve been this season and their ages, there is every chance that by the time they leave the club, Gabriel and Saliba could be viewed as Arsenal’s greatest ever duo.
Forget Eze: Arsenal's 8/10 star is becoming Arteta's most important player
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is looking to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by steering the club clear of relegation in their first season back in the Premier League.
After a run of four straight losses, the Whites have picked up four points and scored six goals in two matches against Chelsea and Liverpool in the top-flight, which has pushed them out of the bottom three.
Farke has needed his players to step up in recent games to climb back out of the relegation zone, and several stars have shown that they have what it takes to deliver in the Premier League.
Ranking Leeds United's top performers this season
Joe Rodon, who has started all 15 games, has proven to be a reliable option at the heart of the defence, winning 69% of his ground duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore.
Gabriel Gudmundsson, signed from Lille in the summer, has also caught the eye at left-back, with 3.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 dribbles completed per game, per Sofascore, whilst exciting fans with his bombing runs down the left flank.
£17.4m signing Anton Stach has been one of the top three performers for the Whites, though, with his return of two goals and two assists as a box-to-box midfielder.
1
Ethan Ampadu
2
Sean Longstaff
3
Anton Stach
4
Gabriel Gudmundsson
5
Joe Rodon
As you can see in the ranking above, we have placed Sean Longstaff in second place. He leads the team in ‘big chances’ created (six), but he has also only started ten of the 15 league games, per Sofascore.
That leaves the captain, Ethan Ampadu, in first place as Leeds United’s best Premier League performer since they sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City in 2022.
Why Ampadu is Leeds United's best Premier League player since Phillips
After Phillips was sold to City for £45m, after emerging as an England regular at Elland Road, the Whites were relegated from the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign. No other player was able to step up and save them from trouble.
The English star was particularly impressive with Marcelo Bielsa, as shown in the graphic above, and he averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield in his last Premier League season with Leeds.
Ampadu, now, is looking like the club’s best top-flight performer since Phillips departed. He was judged as an “indispensable” part of Leeds’ midfield in the words of scout Jacek Kulig when promotion was being eyed up, and since moving up a division, he has been a rock on the pitch in the middle of the park. It’s safe to say he could be the first player to lead the team to safety since the Man City midfielder was at the club.
Off the pitch, teammate Karl Darlow described him as a “brilliant” person who has “handled the pressure” of captaining Leeds in the Premier League, which speaks to the qualities that he provides as a leader within the group, and perhaps explains how the team pulled off the last two results despite such a poor run of form that preceded them.
On the pitch, his performances have been impressive. Ampadu lined up in the middle of the park in the games against Chelsea and Liverpool and caught the eye with his defensive nous.
Minutes
90
87
Pass accuracy
86%
87%
Tackle success rate
100%
100%
Duels won
6/11
3/6
Interceptions
2
1
Dribbled past
0x
0x
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was perfect in his tackles and did not allow an opposition player to dribble past him a single time, which shows how combative and reliable he was in midfield.
Ampadu has started all 13 of his appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and averaged an eye-catching 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, which is just shy of the 3.9 that Phillips averaged in his final season with the club.
The former Chelsea starlet offers a similar presence to the England international at the base of the midfield for Leeds, sitting in front of the back four and screening play, making vital defensive interventions to regain possession and start attacks for his side.
He has won 60% of his ground duels and 53% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore, whilst only being dribbled past 0.6 times per match, which shows that Ampadu has been efficient and reliable in the middle of the park for Farke, as an ever-present when fit.
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Overall, the Welshman may well be the club’s best Premier League player since Phillips, not just for the quality that he clearly provides as a holding midfielder, but also for his leadership skills and how he handles the pressure of leading a Premier League side.
While Daniel Farke is taking a lot of heat at the moment surrounding his incapabilities as a Premier League manager, the Leeds United players he keeps selecting also need to take their fair share of the blame for what is currently occurring.
Against Aston Villa last time out, Elland Road regulars such as Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon didn’t cover themselves in glory whatsoever, with the Dutchman – in particular – looking weak physically, when winning just three of his eight attempted duels.
Moreover, Sean Longstaff, who stunned earlier on in the season with a goal and assist against AFC Bournemouth, looked noticeably flat up against the likes of Youri Tielemans for the energetic away side, leading to him giving possession away a costly 13 times.
Farke also has a part to play here, considering he works with the camp week in week out in trying to pick wins up, with the German clearly unable to inspire his team to get out of their rotten slump.
Still, he wouldn’t have foreseen how poor a start Lucas Perri would have made to life in England, as the Brazilian consistently looks uncomfortable in the Premier League.
Perri's poor start at Leeds
Leeds’ arrival back in the top-flight would have been met with equal levels of excitement and trepidation from the die-hard Elland Road fanbase.
Indeed, supporters would have been understandably over the moon that their beloved side had finally jumped back up to the big time.
But, they would have been worried immediately about their goalkeeper situation up a division, with an error-prone Illan Meslier cast to one side during the promotion run-in.
Unfortunately, despite splashing out £13.9m on his services this summer, the aforementioned Perri hasn’t looked like a steady pair of gloves whatsoever since joining, with a disastrous eight goals already given up in November alone.
The ex-Lyon stopper received plenty of pelters after the Villa defeat, too, when he remained frozen to his spot for Morgan Rogers to hammer home this delightful free-kick effort.
Ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome has even gone as far as to label Perri a complete “waste of funds”, and it could be argued he’s been a complete waste of time and energy, as well, considering his steep price tag, and his billing as a top-flight capable ‘keeper that would make Meslier a worry of the past.
Yet, despite all the abuse that has come his way, he isn’t the biggest waste of time in Farke’s camp currently.
Leeds have a bigger waste than Perri
At least in Perri’s case, he doesn’t have much competition breathing down his neck, with Farke surely extremely hesitant to chuck in Meslier to a relegation dog-fight, alongside another reserve figure in Karl Darlow.
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Therefore, the hope will be that the South American can play his way out of this mess, having started his choppy Leeds career with a promising clean sheet against Newcastle United.
On the contrary, Sebastiaan Bornauw already looks resigned to a place on the periphery, owing to recurring injury issues troubling him in West Yorkshire, and the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol being other options Farke can call upon in the heart of defence.
For a modest £5.1m fee, Leeds would have been hoping that they’d hit the jackpot with the assured Belgian, who had 140 Bundesliga appearances under his belt, before making the switch to England, with former Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer previously hailing the former German top-flight titan as a consistently “strong” presence for his team.
Across those 140 games, Bornauw would help himself to a stable, if slightly unspectacular, 27 clean sheets, meaning he would have been viewed as a handy utility signing, too, when the deal was arranged, as Leeds prepared to use their full squad to beat the drop.
Bornauw’s Leeds numbers
Stat
Bornauw
Games played
1
Minutes played
90
Games missed through injury
4
Transfer cost
£5.3m
Wage costs
£45k-per-week
Sourced by Transfermarkt/Capology
Instead, he has largely been injury-ridden since swapping Germany for West Yorkshire, with just one forgettable appearance coming his way so far in the EFL Cup versus Sheffield Wednesday.
For as much as Perri has largely been calamitous, at least he has made his presence known. Whereas Bornauw looks to already be burning a significant hole in Leeds’ wage bill, for how little action he has thrown himself into, with Leeds-based content creator Lewis Deighton rightly calling the unfolding situation out as “absolutely laughable”.
Amazingly, his £45k-per-week pay packet means he is earning more than the aforementioned Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu – who earn a lesser £40k-per-week salary each – despite both figures continuing to be ever-presents in the Farke regime.
It’s very clear how much Leeds dropped the ball this summer with unconvincing signings, as the under-pressure German now potentially pays the ultimate price with his job.
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What do the six PSL 2025 squads look like after the disruption, and where do their campaigns stand at this stage?
Danyal Rasool16-May-2025Quetta GladiatorsGladiators are arguably best placed. Having already secured a top-two berth for the playoffs, they know precisely the path they will need to tread if they are to replicate their heroics from 2019, when they won the title. The one game they have left in the league phase comes against the already-eliminated Multan Sultans, giving them an opportunity to test out a fresh team composition.And on that note, too, they have perhaps done better than most.Rilee Rossouw, their greatest ever overseas player and an architect of their 2019 triumph, has opted to return for what remains of the league. As has Finn Allen, maintaining to a large extent their top order composition. While significant overseas names like Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott and Mark Chapman do not make the trip back, Gladiators have bolstered their ranks with Dinesh Chandimal, Gulbadin Naib and Avishka Fernando.Karachi Kings’ superstar captain David Warner will continue to lead the side•PCBKarachi KingsAmid all the uncertainty over the league’s postponement, the one thing everyone seemed to be sure of was that Kings’ superstar captain had no qualms about returning. David Warner will continue to lead a side that has seen a transformation from the last three seasons, when they missed the playoffs, to sitting on the cusp of finishing inside the top two. They have two games left, coming against sides that would be desperate for the points: Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, who are both fighting to finish inside the top four.Aside from Warner, Kings have Mohammad Nabi. Tim Seifert and James Vince returning too. The quartet formed the core of Kings’ playing overseas roster for much of the earlier part of the season. Kane Williamson will not return, but Kings have been strengthened by bringing in Scotland top-order batter George Munsey, described eye-catchingly on his ESPNcricinfo profile as “the reverse-sweeping demon of the Associate world”.Ben Dwarshuis is one of the key players who have returned to Islamabad United’s ranks•PCBIslamabad UnitedWhat’s happened to the best side in PSL history? Having stormed to the title last year, they began 2025 in the same vein, winning the first five matches to register a ten-game winning streak across seasons, the best in the league’s history. They rested five players for the next game, and suddenly, they couldn’t buy a point. The last four games have been relatively comprehensive defeats, leaving them on a precarious ten points with the third-worst net run-rate and just one game to go – against Kings.However, United have built a reputation as a side that is well managed, and, just as importantly, one that drafts exceptionally well. They have perhaps been the best of all six sides at bringing in the players they require. Ben Dwarshuis returns, while Rassie van der Dussen, unavailable for the first part of the season, will now be a part of their squad. Alex Hales returns, while allrounder James Neesham and fast bowler Tymal Mills also come into the roster.Lahore Qalandars need to win their game against Peshawar Zalmi•PCBLahore QalandarsQalandars, much like United, found themselves relatively comfortable until two-thirds of the way into the season, but two rain-affected games, one of which ended in a no-result even as they lost the other, now leave them in a virtual must-win knockout before the playoffs. Nine points from nine games mean they need to win their game against Zalmi on Sunday, or they will not be a part of the playoffs – which take place in Lahore – for an unprecedented seventh time in ten seasons.They pulled out all the stops to ensure Sikandar Raza came back to join them for that one game on Sunday. He has a Test match to play against England at Trent Bridge that starts just four days later, so he will not be a part of the playoffs, even if Qalandars make it. With David Wiese and Sam Billings also not returning, Qalandars have turned to Shakib al Hasan – who has not played competitively since November last year – and Bhanuka Rajapaksa – who has not played competitive cricket since January.Mitchell Owen will not return to the PSL and instead play in the PSL•Getty ImagesPeshawar ZalmiZalmi’s record of making every single playoff in the league’s history is under threat. For the first half of the league, they looked like they would have fallen out of contention by this stage, but three wins in the last four have helped them cling on. Sitting fifth, one point behind Qalandars, they have the advantage of a game in hand. Victory against Qalandars will guarantee them passage to the playoffs, but they also have a game against Kings, which offers them a slightly more circuitous route, with net run-rate potentially entering the mix.They have not managed to hold on to Mitchell Owen amid interest from the IPL, but do bring back Tom Kohler-Cadmore, one of Zalmi’s mainstays over the years. Luke Wood, the second-most economical fast bowler this year, will also be part of what remains of their campaign, as will big-hitting Australian Max Bryant. While Alzarri Joseph and Nahid Rana will be absent, Afghanistan top-order batter Najibullah Zadran returns.Dilshan Madushanka is one of the new recruits for Multan Sultans•ICC/Getty ImagesMultan SultansWhat Sultans really care about is the end of this season. Already eliminated with one of the worst campaigns in the history of the PSL, they sit rock bottom, having lost eight of their nine games. At one stage, it appeared they would bring in no overseas player at all and, indeed, none of their overseas players from their original roster will come back.However, with the league requiring a minimum of three overseas players per game, they brought in Australian batter Josh Brown and spinner Peter Hatzoglou. In keeping with the season they have had, Brown has pulled up injured, and will be replaced by Sri Lanka fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka. ESPNcricinfo understands Sultans will also bring in a batter, though they are yet to confirm the name.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have now submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, with it being revealed the forward could be available for a bargain fee.
Wolves certainly need some inspiration from somewhere if they are to dig themselves out of trouble, given that they are currently sitting bottom of the table, having taken just two points from their opening 11 Premier League matches.
Not only do the Old Gold have the worst defensive record in the top flight, but they have also been extremely poor from an attacking point of view, having scored just seven goals, the fewest of any Premier League side.
In fact, not a single one of Rob Edwards’ players has scored more than one league goal, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to make the impact he did last season, so it would make sense for the new manager to pursue a new forward in the January transfer window.
Wolves make offer for Gonzalo Garcia
That is exactly what Wolves are planning to do, according to a report from Spain, which states they are one of several Premier League clubs to have made an offer of around €20m (£18m) for Real Madrid forward Garcia.
Sunderland and Aston Villa have also made moves for the Spaniard, who could seemingly be available for a bargain fee, given that cashing-in for £18m is regarded as an ‘attractive financial opportunity’ for the La Liga club.
The Old Gold want to get a deal done quickly, given that the 21-year-old’s value could increase as the season goes on, with some key figures at Real Madrid of the belief he could still have a future at the Bernabeu.
In truth, it would be surprising if the youngster was prepared to make the move to Molineux, given that Wolves are at serious risk of being relegated, but he could be a major coup if Fosun were able to get a deal done.
Journalist Zach Lowy clearly believes the Madrid starlet could be capable of playing for a club competing at the top level, having singled him out for praise courtesy of his impressive displays at the Club World Cup.
The centre-forward bagged four goals in six games out in the USA, while also providing one assist, but unsurprisingly, he has since been unable to displace the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in the starting XI.
Consequently, it would make sense for Garcia to move to a new club this January, but Wolves will have to improve their league standing considerably to stand a chance of winning the race.
Wolves and Edwards keen to sign Premier League striker Wolves and Edwards keen to sign "aggressive" £90,000-p/w Premier League flop
Captain Bavuma and head coach Conrad are happy for curators to prepare the pitches as they would like
Firdose Moonda25-Nov-2024It’s a stereotype as common as they come: go to the subcontinent and expect to be spun out, come to South Africa and watch your head (and all your other belongings – but that’s a different conversation). Except this time.South Africa will not prepare green tops for their four must-win Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer.Despite what gut instincts may say about the best way for them to maximise home advantage and even though they are playing Sri Lanka at venues where they lost five years ago, South Africa will leave it to individual ground staff to and hope for fair surfaces for their matches.Related
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“We’re not at liberty to instruct the groundsmen to prepare what we’d like. We just try to play on whatever has been prepared,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said in Pretoria, where the team held their preparation camp before traveling to Durban for the first Test. “And there’s not a lot of concern from my side where we are playing Sri Lanka. Obviously Sri Lanka will be confident in those two venues because they were successful but we’re not going to ask for specific conditions”Sri Lanka beat South Africa in Durban and Gqeberha in 2019 but lost the next series in 2020-21, when they were beset by a spate of injuries. But that 2019 series was the first time a subcontinent side had beaten South Africa in a home series, which some say makes the decision to go back to those venues curious. Durban, in particular, has been a difficult place for South Africa in the last 15 years. Since March 2009, South Africa have played 10 Tests at Kingsmead and lost seven, including two each to Sri Lanka (their first Test win in the country came in 2011), Australia and England and one to India. Their last outing was in March 2022, when they beat Bangladesh by 220 runs, at the end of the Covid-19 restrictions, with a side that was depleted by the absence of IPL-bound players, which made up most of the first-choice attack.But Test coach Shukri Conrad is not buying into the talk that the coastal venues are more suited to subcontinent teams and wants to reclaim them as places South Africa consider their own. “You can’t play all your cricket at Centurion and the Wanderers,” he said earlier this month, referring to the Highveld venues which do give pace bowlers the edge. “We’ve got a fan base in Durban. We’ve got a fan base in Gqeberha and we’re looking forward to playing Test matches there.”Like Bavuma, he does not expect the groundstaff to prepare anything other than what is usually expected of them. “We just want good cricketing wickets,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for.”Keshav Maharaj is expected to play an important role in South Africa’s upcoming home Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesSo what might that be?First up, at Kingsmead, Durban’s long-serving groundsman Wilson Ngobese will retire at the end of this year and has been handing over the reins to his successor Wonderboy Khanyile. Along with former Newlands and Wanderers groundsman Evan Flint, a prodigy of Ngobese’s, who has been working in Kwa-Zulu Natal as a consultant, they have prepared the Test pitch together. It should be livelier than it is for domestic matches, where the local team, the Dolphins tend to prefer it slower and lower.”I was in conversation with Evan and it’ll be one of the new wickets and Evan guarantees me there’ll be some good pace,” Conrad said. “Domestically, they prepare it to spin because of the strength of their bowlers so I think the Dolphins go out deliberately preparing spinning wickets.”That is in stark contrast to the messaging of five years ago when, under Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s groundstaff were instructed to prepare green-tops, particularly for a 2017-18 series against India. The Wanderers got it so badly wrong that the pitch was rated poor and they were handed three demerit points, which have since expired. Gibson wanted to maximise the advantage an attack of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi could give South Africa, at the expense of their batters. South Africa’s ability to score big runs diminished to the point that between January 2018 and December 2021, only West Indies (among teams in the World Test Championship) had fewer centurions.The second Test at St George’s Park could see plenty of movement off the seam and perhaps even reverse swing come into play. “If you look at the records domestically, [Warriors allrounder] Beyers Swanepoel, for example, takes a host of wickets there,” Conrad said. Swanepoel has 52 first-class wickets from nine matches at the venue at an average of 14.44. “It can be very favourable for seamers as well.”It is also known to take turn later on, and South Africa back their first-choice left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to take centre stage. “You want spin later on in the game and why we play arguably one of the best spinners in the world in Keshav in our side,” Conrad said.South Africa have also included spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, who took a career-best 4 for 45 in Bangladesh last month, in the squad but have no room for offspinner Dane Piedt or wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, which suggests that even if there is turn, they’re not expecting it to be that big.All the discussion over home advantage is pressing because of what is at stake for the hosts. South Africa need to win all four of their remaining matches to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship final. They could still get there with three wins but would be dependent on other results. Either way, their fate lies in their own hands and they don’t plan on putting it in conditions.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be substituted in the 55th minute of Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Athletic Club after appearing to sustain an ankle injury. The former Liverpool right-back had finally picked up his first assist in La Liga when he set up Kylian Mbappe's early opener but had to be replaced early in the second half after receiving treatment.
Trent picks up agonising injury
Alexander-Arnold had enjoyed one of his more positive outings in a Madrid shirt on Wednesday night, finally picking up his first assist in La Liga since signing for the club in the summer from Liverpool. His long pass forward was brilliantly controlled by Mbappe, who sped through Athletic's midfield and produced an impeccable finish to send Los Blancos into the lead. Alexander-Arnold had also looked secure enough at the back despite being up against the lively Nico Williams, but he was soon down on the turf receiving treatment before he had to be withdrawn, with Raul Asencio coming on as his replacement. It's another worry for manager Xabi Alonso, who is already without first choice right-back Dani Carvajal due to injury, and he'll now have to await the results of tests to see how long the new man could be absent for.
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TAA finally ends assist drought
Alexander-Arnold's diffcult start to life at Santiago Bernabeu has been widely reported, with the Spanish press taking a pop at the England international after his previous performance in the 1-1 draw with Girona. He had been labelled "clueless" by a prominent journalist, having failed to convince many Madrid fans with his displays during his first few months at the club. However, he now finally has another assist to add to his first in Madrid colours which he picked up during the Club World Cup in the summer. It wasn't a trademark assist, with Mbappe doing a lot of the work to finish the job, but it certainly would have done the 27-year-old the world of good if he hadn't been struck down by a fitness issue later on. It comes just short of three months after he suffered a hamstring problem at the start of the season which caused him to miss six matches.
Second injury ruins Alonso's positive night
It wasn't just Alexander-Arnold's injury that Alonso now has to worry about. Eduardo Camavinga, scorer of Madrid's second goal on Wednesday, also received treatment before coming off. The Frenchman seemed to pick up a muscular issue, having suddenly pulled up off the ball, and he alongside Alexander-Arnold now faces an anxious wait as medical examinations are conducted and results are gathered. Camavinga suffered a severely disrupted 2024-25 season, making only 15 appearances over the course of the campaign, and a further setback would be devastating for the versatile midfielder. Alonso is already without some important players, namely Carvajal, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy, and another injury would further restrict the options at the former Bayer Leverkusen boss' disposal.
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What comes next for Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid?
Alexander-Arnold will undergo tests over the next few days to learn the severity of his injury. It seems unlikely that he will be available for Madrid's next fixture, which comes on Sunday when they host Celta Vigo, while he may also be missing for the huge Champions League clash with Manchester City. After that, Los Blancos have fixtures against Alaves and Sevilla before a short break over the Christmas period. Their victory in Bilbao did alleviate some of the pressure building on Alonso's shoulders, with the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder facing criticism after a run of three La Liga games without a victory. They remain a point behind leaders Barcelona, who impressively beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, and a strong run of form is now essential if Los Blancos are to wrestle the league title back off their famous rivals.
Malolan Rangarajan to fill in as head coach for Luke Williams this season due to a schedule conflict between WPL and BBL
Shashank Kishore03-Nov-2025Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have appointed former England fast bowler Anya Shrubsole as their new bowling coach as part of a reshuffle of their support ahead of WPL 2026.Shrubsole will work alongside Malolan Rangarajan, the former Tamil Nadu spinner, who will step in as head coach for the upcoming season. The change was necessary because Luke Williams, who came onboard as head coach ahead of the 2024 season, is set to miss WPL 2026 due to his commitments with Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.A scheduling conflict has arisen because the WPL has been advanced by a month. The tournament is set to begin on January 8 and will end in early February. India is then slated to co-host the men’s T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in the February-March window, before IPL 2026.A World Cup winner in 2017, Shrubsole retired from international cricket in 2022 with over 200 wickets. In the season that followed, she served as player-and-assistant coach under Charlotte Edwards at Southern Vipers. Her stint with RCB will be her first in the WPL. Sunetra Paranjape was previously bowling coach of RCB until 2025.Rangarajan has been part of RCB’s WPL setup since the first season. After working under Ben Sawyer and Mike Hesson in 2023, Rangarajan – who also serves as lead scout for the men’s team – was assistant to Williams during their title-winning season in 2024 and the most recent one, in which they didn’t make the final.The other members of the RCB support staff include R Muralidhar, who will continue as batting coach, while Navnita Gautam is likely to continue in her role as head physio.Rangarajan’s first task will be to finalise the players RCB are retaining ahead of the November 5 deadline, with the WPL mega auction likely to be held on November 26 in New Delhi. The franchise is understood to be unanimous in their choice of Smriti Mandhana as the top retention and captain for the next WPL cycle. They are also in talks with Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Molineux and Shreyanka Patil as possible retentions.RCB had two fourth-place finishes either side of a title-winning run under Mandhana in 2024 – their first ever trophy, before the men’s team followed suit in 2025 and won their maiden IPL title.